> **The border guard, who defended the Zmiinyi (Snake) Island at the beginning of the full-scale war, was released from captivity.**
>
> During the exchange of prisoners on January 3, Zmiynyi island defender – border guard Oleksandr Kurtev from Odesa region – returned to Ukraine. This was reported by the girlfriend of a military man on Instagram.
>
> 22-year-old Oleksandr Kurtev was in Russian captivity without contact with his family for almost two years.
>
> In total, on January 3, seven defenders of Zmiinyi island were returned from captivity by the Russians.
Russian warship…
This man set the tone for the entire defense by the people of Ukraine.
2 comments
Excerpt:
> **The border guard, who defended the Zmiinyi (Snake) Island at the beginning of the full-scale war, was released from captivity.**
>
> During the exchange of prisoners on January 3, Zmiynyi island defender – border guard Oleksandr Kurtev from Odesa region – returned to Ukraine. This was reported by the girlfriend of a military man on Instagram.
>
> 22-year-old Oleksandr Kurtev was in Russian captivity without contact with his family for almost two years.
>
> In total, on January 3, seven defenders of Zmiinyi island were returned from captivity by the Russians.
Russian warship…
This man set the tone for the entire defense by the people of Ukraine.